Stranded in the Desert Place
by the-vampire-act
Summary: While on the way to a seminar in Nevada, Hotch and Reid's car break down. Soon after, Reid strikes a fever. What else could go wrong, Hotch thought. Apparently a hellava lot! R&R?
1. A Relaxing Drive in the Desert

**"…. Alright, so here's my newest Reid!Whump story. He'll be suffering from sickness this time, though: ). Should only be a few chaps long- less than 10- but who knows anymore? R&R? Oh, and I'm only assuming Reid was shot in the left leg, because I forgot…Laso, pleaz check out my profile pg about anew contest Im hosting!"**

Stranded in the Desert-Chapter 1

A Relaxing Drive in the Desert

"Hotch, are you sure this is such a great idea?" Reid asked, his voice timid and hopeful.

"Reid, I already told you; you're not getting out of this. It's just a seminar in Nevada- nothing you can't handle." Hotch replied for the up-teenth time that day. "Are you ready to go?"

"No." Reid muttered childishly. Hotch inwardly smiled at the response; he had always admired Reid's innocence, since he had lost his own a long time ago. It was refreshing to see someone in the BAU still be able to act like he did- childish, but yet so mature at the same time. It was a hard combination to conquer, but somehow Reid had managed.

"Come on." Hotch prodded his youngest agent by the shoulder and led him toward the exit doors. Reid pouted as he walked up to one of the many SUVs the BAU owned and climbed into the passenger side. He rubbed his leg after he sat down; it had been more sore than usual the last few days, and it was really starting to bother him now. 'At least this will get me off from any cases.' Reid thought. 'A seminar will be much easier to handle than a full-out case.'

Hotch glanced over at Reid and frowned. He had noticed that he had been acting favorative his right leg, and he recalled that Reid had been shot in his left. He knew that it was bothering him, but he knew better than to say anything about it unless Reid brought it up himself. Reid never appreciated people fussing over him, so he tried his best to ignore Reid's obvious pain- for now, at least.

In less than half an hour, Reid and Hotch reached the airport. They quickly checked in, received their flight information, and took off on the plane. Since it was just Reid and Hotch going on the consult, they had decided to use public transportation in case a case came up.

Reid slept most of the flight, something that Hotch found both reliving and troubling. Usually, Reid would be wide-awake with worry over screwing up somehow, but this time, he had fallen to sleep before they had even reached their destined altitude. 'Silence, tiredness, 'pouty-ness', and lack of concentration. Yup, Reid was either a) sick, or b), in some kind of pain, most likely his leg. ' Hotch thought. He looked over Reid's sleeping form one last time before being reassured that he'd be safe. He turned off his small overhead light and put his case files back in his suitcase. He turned over to give Reid more room and closed his eyes, ready for a restless sleep.

In less than four hours, which, considering the estimated time was set at 5 and ½ hours, was a short trip for them. Hotch gently nudged Reid awake and helped the still half-sleeping man up from his seat. They quickly made their way off the plane, got their suitcases, and picked up their rental car. Reid curled up in the passenger seat and closed his eyes; he was determined to get some more sleep in before they started their 'lecture'.

Hotch was a little concerned about driving in the Nevada Desert; he wasn't used to the very different background of the desert place compared to the busy-city streets of Quantico. 'Everything looks the same!' Hotch thought. 'Where the hell am I?' Hotch contemplated waking Reid up, but he couldn't find it in him to wake up the younger agent.

Suddenly, the engine made an ugly noise and the car stopped. "Damn it." Hotch muttered. Unfortunately, he was a bit louder than he intended to be, and he woke Reid up. Reid blinked his eyes a few times before he sat up.

"What happened?" he asked groggily.

"We stalled or something." Hotch replied. "Just…go back to sleep; I'll see what's wrong with it." Hotch opened his door and made his way to the lid of the car.

Reid crossed his arms over his chest, upset about…about what? 'I'm obviously sick, sitting in the middle of a desert, and am being ordered to stay in a car. That's it- nothing to get upset about,' Reid kept telling himself. Unfortunately, he was still upset, and he finally had enough and stormed out of the car. 'Irritation,' Reid said, going over a mental list in his mind, 'another symptom.'

"I thought I told you to stay in the car." Hotch said, obviously annoyed. Reid doubted he was annoyed at his lack of obedience, but rather the fact that he didn't know what was wrong with the car. Still, Reid was a bit put-off by Hotch's tone, and his boss was starting to sense that. "Sorry, it's not you, it's this damned SUV…"

"I know." Reid said with a yawn. "We don't have cell phone service, by the way. I checked already."

"I figured as much." Hotch nodded.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I guess we just wait for help." Hotch sighed.

"That could take a while; we're in the middle of the least popular deserts in Nevada; it doesn't lead to any major cities, just small towns like the one we're supposed to give the seminar to."

"You should go back in the car; you're looking a little pale." Hotch interrupted.

"I don't wa-" Hotch cut him off, though.

"That wasn't a suggested; go back inside and sleep." Reid just nodded and obediently did so. Hotch watched as Reid reentered the car with a yawn. He groaned.

It was going to be a long trip.

"…**So there's the first chap! Thnx for reading; R&R?…"**


	2. Arguments

**This story will probably not be updated consistently- or about consist- until 'White Light' is complete. And don't forget to check out my contest! Thnx everyone for all the great feedback! Also, the tiny bit of medical info I included was Googled, and this will NOT be slash!**

**Stranded in the Desert Place- Chapter 2**

**Arguments **

Spencer Reid watched from the windshield as Aaron Hotchner fiddled with the car and waited for help. Just watching the older man was making him exhausted, and he really wished that he would just sit down. His mind started spinning as Hotch's body began to blur, and he would have fallen to sleep instantly if Hotch hadn't started banging on the passenger door. He moaned as he sat up and unlocked the door, allowing Hotch inside. As Hotch leaned back in the driver's seat, he turned to Reid.

"Sorry for waking you," he started, "I just needed to sit down."

"No problem. I wasn't asleep yet anyways." he lied smoothly.

Hotch didn't bother telling his youngest agent that he knew he was lying; right now, as he laid back in the uncomfortable seat of the SUV, it honestly didn't seem worth it. So instead, he counteracted the comments by telling him to get some sleep. Of course, he was met with protest.

"I'm not sleeping Hotch, and unless you're going to sleep after me, I don't want to hear you argue," he warned. It was obvious to Reid that Hotch had no plans on sleeping, and he knew that the statement would shut his superior up, for now at least. Proving he was right, Hotch just nodded his head and refocused to the road.

"We're going to be here a while, it seems." Hotch started. "Mine as well keep ourselves entertained."

Reid raised his eyebrows suspiciously at his boss, wondering what exactly he had in mind. Hotch knew that he was sick, and he knew that he was way to tired to do anything, and they were trapped in the desert- what his boss might have in mind was a complete mystery to Reid. Curious, nonetheless, he nodded his head and beckoned for him to carry on.

Hotch knew that what he was doing was dangerous; Reid had always been a very private person, and the chances of him opening up anyways were very slim. Still, he had to try. Besides, it wasn't like he was asking him about his love life or if he was keeping in touch with his dad; what he wanted to ask him had an answer that they both already knew but Hotch knew would never willing talk about. The section chief was willing to take his chances, though, and he cleared his throat before speaking.

Reid looked over at his boss who had not yet spoke, and he frowned as he fought back what could have been a violent cough. He wanted to say something to him- prod him to continue- but he didn't trust his voice at the moment. Instead, he waited less than patiently as Hotch seemed to argue with himself over what to say.

"Why won't you admit that your leg hurts?" Hotch finally asked.

Reid glared at Hotch, but as he tried to speak he started coughing violently. Hotch, his fatherly instincts taking over, reached toward Reid and lowered his head. He kept a firm grip on the back of his head so Reid didn't accidentally jerk away from him and pounded on the younger man's back. After a few minutes, the coughing stopped and Reid was left breathing shallow and ragged. The subordinate slowly swung his head upright again, and he almost immediately dropped it against the seat. If he was exhausted before, he was sure that he would fall to sleep any minute now.

Hotch, sensing his agent's uneasiness, took off his suit jacket and gently placed it over his thin body. Reid looked up gratefully, and Hotch smiled sincerely. "No arguing- you're going to sleep now." Hotch sternly ordered. Reid huffed but still nodded his head. "Good," Hotch said, obviously approving the younger man's actions.

Reid buried his head underneath the jacket, quickly noting that it easily wrapped around him with little effort. He frowned as he thought about how...thin...he was compared to Hotch, but as the headache that he had been suppressing grew just a fraction in its intensity, the thought left his mind. He shut his eyes tightly and tried his best not to moan in pain. His head was killing him, and he wished that his insecurity was his biggest issue at the moment.

"Reid, are you okay?" Hotch asked quietly from his seat. At first, Reid wasn't sure if he had actually heard the voice or imagined it, but when he felt the large, warm hand on hsi forehead, he started leaning toward the first option. "Your fever's getting worse." he sighed. "As soon as we find our way out of this damned desert, I'm taking you to a hospital. You're in the desert, have a limited supply of water, and you're spiking a fever. The conditions are less than favorable, and I want to be certain that you're okay."

Hearing Hotch speak helped Reid, and he was almost certain the older man knew that. It helped him concentrate on something and distract him from the pain, and the calm and composed voice also gave comfort and hope to him. Reid's foggy mind was grateful for that, no matter what he felt was logical at the moment.

"Try to sleep Reid; we're not going anywhere and you're not going to miss anything." Hotch reminded. Reid just nodded and closed his eyes again. He felt Hotch pull the jacket closer to him, and Reid smiled at the gesture. He was freezing, and although he rationally knew that it was just because of the fever and that the extra warmth wasn't helping that, he was very happy that Hotch ad lent it to him.

After a few minutes, Reid's mind went blank, and he quickly fell to sleep.

**I know that this is a bit shorter than I wanted it to be, but I figured length wasn't as important as long as I got an update out. For the next 2-3 weeks, updates for this isn' t going to be my first priorty, but as soon as I get some things straightened out, you'll be seeing more of this. Hoped you liked it! Thnx so much for all the feedback! **


	3. Problems

**This will not be slash or Mpreg (you know who you are-both of you!) and sorry for that confusion. (hehehe) Thnx for reading everyone! I never expected to get so much feedback for this one! I know that Spencey doesnt have curly hair anymore, but for my sake his hair is short but still curly, cuz I really miss his curls :) WARNING: All medical facts were Googled and/or gotten through experience. **

**Stranded in the Desert Place- Chapter 3**

**Trouble**

Aaron Hotcher leaned against the SUV as he stared off into the desert. He was worried about Reid, and with good reason. The younger man's fever had spiked again a few hours after he had fallen to sleep, and he was sure that Reid was feeling down-right terrible. Although he knew Reid didn't like being fussed over, he had to take some sort of action to make sure he would be okay. He also had to find a way out of the desert; Reid needed medical attention- the sooner the better.

Hotch was starting to consider walking to the nearest, well, anything, in search for help, but he wasn't too keen on the idea of leaving a sick Spencer Reid alone to his own devices, and knowing his luck, Reid would end up getting himself kidnapped or shot again. Besides, someone had to drive down the road eventually, or so he desperately hoped.

The section chief was taken back to reality when he heard the sound of a car door opening and slamming shut again. He ran toward the sound of sand being walked on and something- or someone, he dully noted- falling to the ground. The sounds of vomitting confirmed his suspicions, and he sighed as he reached the other side of the car.

Hotch lowered himself to the ground next to Reid and held his curly bangs back as he dry vomited loud and fiercely. He started to worry when, after nearly ten minutes, he hadn't stopped. Spencer began to sway and whimper, his body distressed by the sudden emptiness and lack of energy. Hotch quickly noticed that Spencer was about to fall over, and he was able to catch him before he completely fell. Finally, his body stopped vomiting, and the younger man rested against Hotch's body, trying his best to calm itself down.

Spencer was exhausted, even more so than he was before had had slept for all those hours. He could barely think as he swayed to and fro, the only thing keeping him upright being Hotch. His stomach was killing him from dry-heaving for so long, and now he felt a new wave of nausea pass through his body. Another, yet softer, whimper escaped his lips as he leaned closer to the sand. He could feel Hotch trying to pull him back up, but he shook his head in protest. "Not done yet..." he choked out. Miserably, Spencer started the retching again, but it was much more violently this time around. By the time he had stopped again, the subordinate was practically dead on the ground, his hand over his stomach and pale as a ghost. He was in over triple the amount of pain he was before, and this time he couldn't even fathom moving.

Hotch protectively crouched over Spencer as he felt for his temperature again. He knew he didn't have to do that to know if his fever was rising, though; the sweat pouring from him and the all-together pain-stricken look Spencer carried was evidence enough. He knew that the dry-heaving probably wasn't helping that, and he now knew that the need to take Spencer to the hospital was much more crucial. In the mean time, though, he had to keep Spencer as healthy and comfortable as possible.

"Spencer, I'm going to lay you down in the back seats, okay? You really need to rest and drink something. I know it's going to be painful, but I can't leave you on the ground." Hotch spoke smoothly, trying to calm down the moaning man next to him. Spencer only nodded in return, but that was enough for Hotch. He slid his hands under Spencer's small figure and carefully picked him up bridal-style. Although he already knew that Spencer was light, he was shocked to discover just light light he was, carefully noting that the dry-heaving probably helped to cause that, too. Spencer cried out in pain, and Hotch whispered comforting words to him. After opening the SUV door, he gently lowered Spencer into the seats.

Spencer curled into himself, practically screaming as another pang of pain ceased through his stomach. His breathing hitched, becoming ragged and uneven, as his stomach churned and threatened to spew again. Hotch, sensing his uneasiness, sat down next to Spencer and propped him against his front side. He opened the side door closest to the road so he could look for cars but yet not have to abandon Spencer. Doubtfully, he tried his cell phone again, and not to his surprise, there was still no service.

"Hotch... it _hurts. _" Spencer said through gritted teeth, trying his best not to scream or whimper again. Hotch frowned, trying his best to think of some way to distract him from the pain. Spencer loved knowledge and sharing statistics; maybe, he thought, he could use that to his advantage. Fortunately, Spencer was thinking something similar.

"I didn't want to cut my hair," Spencer blurted. Hotch raised his eyebrow; he knew that Spencer wanted a distraction, and although he was curious as to what made him cut it, he wasn't quite sure why he would bring up his hair when he was doubled over in pain. It wasn't a statistic, which had become a safe harbor for Spencer, and it wasn't work-related. It was personal, so to say, and that wasn't like Spencer at all. Most people in his position jumped into their safe place, but Spencer seemed to be doing just the opposite.

"We don't have to talk about it, Reid-"

"No," Spencer shook his head, wincing all the while. "I need a distraction, and I honestly don't think I'll be able to explain my statistics right now," he admitted. "I'd rather talk about this."

"All right," Hotch nodded. "Why did you cut your hair?"

The corners of Spencer's mouth twitched up, and that alone was enough to make Hotch nervous. "I had a fight with my father," he started. "He...he came to visit a few months ago, and...and I was drunk. I was so pissed off, and for some reason- I honestly can't remember why, exactly, but he... he mentioned the time when my mom cut my hair very short, and he said he hated it. After that, I...I did something other rather rash things."

"Why were you fighting?" Hotch asked.

The small smile that had formed on Spencer's face quickly vanished, and a glimmer of sadness fluttered through his eyes. He opened his mouth to talk, but all that came out was a harsh series of coughs.

"Take it easy, Reid. You don't have to answer," Hotch said. Spencer nodded his head, all the while fighting for air. Understanding his dilemma, Hotch propped him up more, and just as he went to comfort Spencer, a bright light appeared from the road.

**~* SITDP *~ **

**3 more chaps left, folks! This is a minor story, so there won't be that much per-say action, but there will be at least one shocker in the next chap! Thnx for reading everyone!**


	4. Lost and Found

****

I apologize for the long waits, but I appreciate you guys hanging in there! That's why I don't respond to most reviews anymore-takes too much time…. But Thnx everyone; now, on with the story!

Stranded in the Desert Place- Chapter 5

Lost and Found

"Spencer, I'm going to leave for a second, okay?" Hotch asked. He didn't wait for an answer though, as his hands were already pushing Spencer safely off him. Spencer mumbled some sort of response, but Hotch couldn't qutie make out the words.

Hotch rushed out of the car and next to the road; he started waving his hands and yelling 'we need help'. The smaller car pulled over, and Hotch silently hoped that it wasn't another UnSub. Getting Reid kidnapped wasn't on his list of things to do, and he wished it to stay that way. The driver, Hotch noticed, seemed to hesitate before getting out, and Hotch silently swore to himself, reaching for his gun. 'Great, that kid really can't keep himself out of trouble, can he?'

So it was a surprise when the man did walk out with a frown on his face.

Hotch lowered his gun, silently thinking that only Reid would know the precise chances of running into your father in the desert when your car broke down and you're now horribly ill. And only Reid would know if they actually had statistics for such a detailed situation.

"Agent Hotchner! I didn't know the team was in town." William Reid said.

"Well, your son and I are supposed to be on our way to a seminar right about now, but the car stalled."

"Oh, well, I can give you guys a lift." he offrered. He watched as his son;s superiror frowned, and he knew that something was wrong. "What is it, Hotch?"

Hotch turned back to the car, quickly glancing at Spencer's lanky form. His eyes made their way back to William, who had caught on to the fact that something was wrong and that his son was most likely involved in it. Sighing, Hotch nodded his head. "Reid got really sick on the way here. He's been dry vomiting for a while, and he's extrememly exhausted."

"How bad it it?" William asked, his fatherly insticts kicking in.

Hotch sighed as he motioned toward the vehicle. "Wy don't you just see for yourself?" William didn't even hesitate as he started making his way toward the car. He quickly planted himself inside of the car where he found his son doubled-over in pain. William's frown deeped as he looked over Spencer; he hated seeing his son in pain.

'"Dad...?" he whispered weakly.

"Yeah, it's me Spencer." William nodded. "We're going to get you out of here, okay? You need help, but to get you there, we have to move you."

"Just do it." Spencer moaned.

Hearing the 'we' part, Hotch walked up to the Reid family, ready to offer his assistance. With a nod from William, Hotch gently wrapped his arms around Spencer's left side, leaving William with the right. Both of the older men could tell that Spencer was trying his best not to scream, and that encouraged them to transport him much faster. Finally, Spencer was rested safely in the back seats of his father's car.

"You drive, Hotch. I want to stay with my son." William ordered sternly. Hotch just nodded; being a father himself, he understood the need to wamt to take care of your kid, no matter what age he may be.

"Come on Spencer; just rest again me." William cooed as he, just like Hotch had, lowered Spencer on top of him. His son buried his head into his chest, whimpering lightly against the fabric. William shushed him as he ran a hand through his hair.

Hotch made his way around to the driver's side. After he closed the door, shoved the key into the engine and started the car. As he slid on his seat belt, he rammed his foot on the gas petal.

"Where's the nearest hospital?" Hotch asked.

"It's a few miles up the road." William started. "Unfortunately, it's going to take at least forty-five minutes to get there."

Spencer once again moaned as his father uttered those horrible words, and as he tossed and turned in the seat, he felt a new wave of nasea give way. He pushed it back though; there was no way he'd be able to take puking again up his stomach again. He was too weak for that now. So instead, he curled into his father's side and continued to fidget.

William gently placed his hand around Spencer's waist, effectively keeping him from moving again. He knew that Spencer was only moving because of the discomfort, but he also knew it would only make him feel worse. Finally, Spencer stopped moving. William sighed as a large bump caused Spencer to slide a little- not enough to push him off the seat, but just enough to make William lose his gripping and allow Spencer to bang against the seat in front of him.

"Sorry." Hotch muttered.

"You didn't build the road, did you?" Spencer glared. He hated it when people apologized for somehow 'hurting him' when it wasn't there fault to begin with. Especially when he was sick, he noted, he didn't tolerate such an attitude. Hotch just nodded his head, obviously getting the hint. Reid thankfully rolled back into his father and closed his eyes.

"Spencer, try to stay awake. At the most, we're forty-five minutes away, and we need you awake to take you in. I know it hurts, but please stay with us." William pleaded.

"I...I'm sorry. I'm just...so tired." Before William could protest, his son had fallen to sleep.

"Damn it." he hissed.

"He fell to sleep?" Hotch guessed, his eyes never leaving the road. He still wasn't much of a fan of driving in the desert, and he would need all the concentration he could get. He knew that the roads weren't all that hard to drive on, but when you're used to big city traffic, it was very different.

"Yeah, but I guess it's for the best. At least he's not in pain." William said.

"We'll just wake him up when we get there; no big deal." Hotch agreed.

The rest of the car ride to the hospital was fairly quiet. Hotch had turned on the static-y radio as William stroked his son's hair repetitively. Both of the men were too busy worrying on Spencer's health to attempt useless small talk, and besides that, they honestly didn't get along that well. Hotch was still a bit upset about what William had done to Spencer in the past, and William was jealous of the relationship that Hotch had with his son. Even if they had attempted small talk, he doubted that it wouldn't end with a fight.

"Turn here." William instructed, pointing to the right. Hotch nodded as he turned down the street. He was pleased to see that the desert area finally gave way into a Las Vegas suburb, and as he kept driving, he quickly saw the hospital.

"I see it now." Hotch said, although he knew it was unneeded. He just needed to fill in the empty space left by the silence, and he was glad to see that William seemed to agree.

"Yeah, it's hard to miss in an area like this."

Within a minute, Hotch was pulled into the hospital, running out of the car, lifting Spencer up, and dragging him into the building. As soon as a nurse saw them, she grabbed a wheel chair for them to place Spencer in. They were amazed that he had slept through all of the commotion, and they weren't sure if they should be worried or relieved by that.

Hotch and William both abandoned their thought, though, when a scream pierced the air around them.

****

~* SITDP *~

Yeah, I'm that mean. Two more left! Thnx for reading everyone!


	5. Do you want it too?

**The next chap will be the last ;0 YAY! Thnx everyone for sticking in 'til the end! Warning: All medical facts were Googled! SECOND Warning: This'll be pretty focused on William and Hotch because, well, it's hard to include Spencey when he's not conscious, and who doesn't want to see Hotch and William talk man to man? **

**Stranded in the Desert Place- Chapter 5**

**Do you want it too? **

"Don't worry sirs, it's not yours," the doctor smiled. William and Hotch both turned around to find a little boy screaming at the fallen ice cream cone on the floor. "Aw, poor kid."

"Thank god," William muttered, but he still couldn't help but laugh. He was being paranoid, and he now knew that he needed to lighten up.

"Your son will be all right," Dr. Kasey reassured. "His fever became a little complex from the slight dehydration, but it's nothing that we can't fix. I assume that your son felt very weak before being admitted, and he was probably in a lot of pain. This was due to the rising fever mixing with the dehydration. To solve this, we're prescribing a weak antibiotic to help lower it, and we also have him hooked up to an IV for fluids." The doctor waited for the two men to ask questions, but both of them being fathers themselves, they were already aware of many facts related to common illnesses. Taking the silence as a chance to move on, she smiled again. "Would you two like some time alone with your son?"

"Uh, excuse me?" William frowned.

"Well, I'm assuming you two are the fathers..." She stopped as she saw a grim look pass both of the men's faces, and a horror-struck look passed her own face. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry! It's just...you two were so worried about him. I just...I just thought..." The plump woman turned red in the face as William bursted out laughing. Hotch just glared at the two of them.

"I'm Spencer Reid's boss; we're FBI agents," he warned.

"Oh, yes, of course," she stuttered out. "I'll just...leave now..." She didn't hesitate another second when Hotch mumbled something along the lines of 'it's probably for the best' or perhaps even 'unless you want to be under arrest.' Either way, the doctor got the hint and scrammed.

"Well, that was a bit harsh, don't you think Agent Hotchner?" William smirked.

"Shut up," Hotch muttered. 'Accidentally' hitting William's shoulder as he brushed passed him, Hotch made his way to Spencer's current room.

Their smiles disappeared when they saw Spencer curled up on his side breathing heavily in his bed. They both assumed he was sleeping since his eyes were closed, and his chest moved up and down in rhythm with his breath's even but harsh melody. He looked vulnerable yet peaceful, and they hoped that the latter fell over their younger companion.

"He used to fall asleep like that all the time," William commented. "It used to scare me."

"Yeah, well, I think he'll be okay for now," Hotch whispered back, not wanting to wake Spencer up. "Come on; there's nothing we can do here." Hotch gently prodded William by the shoulder and led him out of the room. He tried his best to smile reassuringly, but that was always something that he had found difficulty doing. "He's been through worse; I'm sure he'll get through this." Hotch inwardly singed at the sound of his own voice. 'Oh yes,' he thought sarcastically, 'tell him that his son has been through worse when he probably has no clue what all he HAS been through.'

"Yeah, I figured as much," William sighed. He swiped a hand over his face before sitting down in the waiting room. Hotch offered himself the spot next to him, and even though they had just been talking, he could already feel what Garcia would have described as an awkward silence settle over them. He fiddled with his pockets and cleared his throat, suddenly unsure of what to say. He had never gotten along with William Reid- in fact, he barely knew him- but he was still sympathetic to his situation. A father always worried about his son no matter what, and even if William was absent for a large portion of Spencer's life, he assumed that he was still no exception.

"It's okay Hotch; you don't have to pretend that we get along. You don't agree with what I did to Spencer, and to be frank, neither do I. I'm not proud of it," William said.

"I'm not judging you, William. We've all made mistakes in the past, but they should be forgiven nonetheless," Hotch replied.

"Yeah, well, I'm not so sure Spencer has," William mumbled.

"The two of you just reconnected. Give him time; I'm sure he'll come around eventually." William nodded, but he remained silent. Hotch turned his complete attention to William, thinking it obvious that the man needed to talk things through.

"How can you say that; how could you possibly know?" William hissed.

"Because I have a son too," he reminded, "and he felt about the same way after his mother divorced me. Imagine how he felt when she died," Hotch glared. "Yeah, he never hated me, but what he did was worse. He hero-worshipped me, even after the separation. It made Haley so angry, and she tried so hard to get him to see what she saw in me…." Hotch paused, allowing the silence as a time to reflect on the things that had passed, even if it was just for a moment. "He never had a proper grieving time; we both just jumped back into our own lives. It doesn't always work that way, William, and to be honest, I wish it hadn't had happened that way for us. It's not healthy," Hotch said. He wasn't sure how much his words would help or hurt William, but either way, he knew that they were words that William needed to hear.

"It's different," William glared back. "Your son's just a kid, and your wife died. Besides, she left _you, _and you both were perfectly healthy. You both knew that Haley would be able to take care of Jack, but I wasn't so sure. And your son wasn't ten years old and already in high school, either. I left knowing that Spencer was being bullied fairly severely and knowing that his mom wouldn't be able to take care of either of them. I left because I was a coward; Haley left because she couldn't take your job anymore."

"You can't think like that, William. Spencer's not a kid anymore. So what? Spencer's an FBI agent. Your point? You weren't around after the Riley Jenkins case; you don't know how Spencer acted after he saw you. Yeah, he wanted to hate you, but do you know what? He couldn't; he just couldn't hate you. He wants you back in his life, but he wants you to want it too." Hotch paused, letting William think over what he had just told him. He watched as the glare left his face, and a slight frown took its place. "So the only question left, William, is do you want it too?"

William would have responded, but just as his mouth opened, but the sound of someone clearing their throat halted him. Both men looked up and nodded for Dr. Kasey to continue. She turned to William and smiled.

"Sir, he's awake now."

**~* SITDP *~ **

**Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I know the chapter's short, but I think it's better off this way. One last chapter! EEP! Thnx for reading everyone; I love you all! **


	6. The Process of Healing

**This is it everyone- the FINAL CHAPTER! Well, thnx for the patience, and happy holidays! **

**Stranded in the Desert Place- Chapter 6**

**The Healing Process**

Spencer was released from the hospital a day later with a prescription drug and a huge headache. He could live with it though; after all, it could have been worse. William and Hotch had arranged to take him home nonetheless, and with mild hesitation from the doctor, it was allowed. Hotch had suggested William take some time off work to spend with his son, and William had agreed without any hesitation. He had managed to get the whole week off, so he had decided to just come back with the two BAU agents. Now, Spencer was laying on his father in the back seat of the BAU's SUV. Spencer looked content- much to William's pleasure- and the older two men allowed a comfortable silence to fill the car-as if there was anything else that needed to be said, anyways. As William stroked his son's brown hair, he realized that he too was falling to sleep, and before he knew it, he was out like a light.

Aaron Hotchner turned his head back to look at the Reid family, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. He quietly turned the radio up to a respectable level of volume before turning his eyes back to the road.

About half an hour later, William woke up again and resumed petting his son's hair. He pulled his son closer to him, as if afraid to let go, and Hotch realized that he probably was. He would be too in his position. William didn't know half of the things that Spencer had dealt with on the job, but he did know that those monsters they had put away had hurt Spencer, and that thought alone was enough to scare any parent.

William and Hotch kept quiet for the rest of the short trip. They had ordered another ticket for WIlliam to fly back to Viriginia with them, and they were less than five minutes away from the airport currently. The trio soon reached the airport, and they reluctantly agreed to wake Spencer up. Spencer's red eyes blinked rapidly before realizing where they were. Spencer sat up stiffly and allowed his companions to help him out of the car. Once he was more awake, he was passed his go-bag and escorted into the airport.

Their flight to Quantico took off less than half an hour after they had arrived. Happy about the short way, the three men sat down in their seats and made polite conversation. Hotch quickly became tired, though, and he left the conversation between the now wide awake Spencer and his father. Spencer nervously fidgeted as he suppressed a series of coughs while William sighed; he hated the fact that Spencer had become so sick on his way to a seminar for the BAU. He couldn't help but to think that it was because of his job that he had become so sick.

_That's right- because of his job. _

William shook his; he couldn't even bare the thought any longer. Spencer loved his job; he could never ask him to give that up.

Spencer cleared his throat from the seat across from his father, smiling shyly when he blushed. William sat down the travel magazine he had been pretending to read in favor of his son.

"What is it, Spencer?" he asked.

Spencer lowered his head, as if ashamed of what he wanted to know. William frowned as he sat a supporting hand on his too-thin shoulder, making a mental note to stock up on groceries while he was in town.

"You want to know, don't you?" he asked softly. William frowned before he realized what his son was referring to, and he slowly nodded his head yes. Spencer sighed before turning to face his face, his arms wrapped protectively over himself- a position that William was too familiar with.

"You don't have to tell me now, but I do want to know. I want to know what's happened to you on the job. I know it's dangerous, and I know I probably don't even know half of what's happened to you, but I want to change that." William watched as his son propped his head against the seat he was sitting in, his eyes glazing over. William turned his armrest up and motioned for Spencer to lay on him again. He did so without hesitation. "Take your time; we have all week together, okay?"

"Yeah," Spencer nodded. He buried his face in his father's shirt as a chill travelled throughout his thin body. William wrapped his coat around him and told him to sleep. Although Spencer was sick of sleeping, he did so anyways, finding the will to stay awake too difficult to attain. Before he closed his eyes, he heard his father whisper something, but before he could realize what he had said, he was fast asleep again.

~* SITDP *~

Hotch drove William off at Spencer's apartment after reluctantly waking him up. The tired man was given a sympathetic smile from his boss and a concerned look from his own father before he was escorted back to his apartment at last.

William wasn't shocked to find antique furniture, walls upon walls of books, papers and pens lying almost everywhere and anywhere, and only a single picture of Spencer and his team on the red-wooded coffee table. He smiled to himself; he was glad he hadn't missed any changes in his son's style, at least. Antique and classic- the way Spencer and Diana had both always liked it.

"You can...you can just make yourself at home. I'm just going to try to sleep for a little while longer if you don't mind," Spencer yawned as he placed his coat in the hall closet. William just nodded his head as he watched his son tiredly drag himself to his bedroom. "We can talk tomorrow, I promise, I just need to sleep right now."

"That's okay Spencer; I understand," William reassured. "I actually would have forced you to sleep anyways. You were really sick; you need to recoperate."

"Thanks dad," Spencer smiled. As he turned around, he mumbled, "good night."

William waited for Spencer to close the door behind him before he too got ready for bed. He changed into his night wear before debiting whether to sleep on the spare bed that was covered with books in what appeared to be a make-shift study or to just sleep on the couch. Knowings that Spencer would have felt bad if he slept on the couch, he cleared off the bed and decided to sleep there instead.

He tried to sleep, but he was too wound up. 'What a shame,' he thought, 'this is a fairly comfortable bed.'

His eye caught the attention of a book on the floor, and he reached over to pick it up. A smile pressed on his lips as he realized that he had bought the book for Spencer's Christmas gift when he was seven. His fingers slipped over the pages as he skimmed over them in the old book. The pages were discolored and ripped in certain parts, but he was sure that Spencer was taking great care of it nonetheless. William sat the book down before deciding to look over the other books as well. There were dozens of them lined on the shelves, and he couldn't help but realize why his son had liked them so much. They were an escape for him, and although he wasn't much of a reader himself, even he could see the value they held.

William glanced at the clock mounted on the wall above him, seeing that it was now eleven p.m. Reluctantly, he made his way back to his bed and closed his eyes, hoping that Spencer would keep his word and talk to him tomorrow morning.

~* SITDP *~

"I'm assuming you still want to know." Spencer spoke slowly, hesitantly. William Reid nodded his head from his seat on the couch across from Spencer.

"You don't have to tell me now-"

"No, I do have to tell you now," Spencer sighed. He went to curl his legs into his chest, but he stopped himself, knowing that it would hurt him too much.

"Why do you do that?" William frowned. "You always used to sit like that, but now you keep stopping yourself," William observed.

"I was shot a few months ago," Spencer replied.

"Well, I think that's a good place to start."

Spencer couldn't help to smile despite the seriousness of the situation. "Yeah, I suppose it is," he agreed. He sat down his glass of milk before turning his full attention to his father. Finally, after keeping the secret dangers of his job that had haunted him for years, he let them all out, and by the time he was nearly finished, more than three hours had passed and he had cried so hard that even his father had to let tears fall.

"That...that all happened to you?" his father asked incredulously.

"Yeah, yeah it did dad," Spencer nodded, still shaking. "But there's...there's one more. It happened a few years ago, but I still think about it. It...it-ah happened right before Gideon left, which made it even harder, but what really hurt was the way I handled it. I was a coward, Dad, and I really hurt myself for doing it."

"What happened?"

"His name was Tobias Hankel, the man who held the monster that hurt me, but his real name was Charles and Raphael Hankel," Spencer whispered. William once again put his hand on Spencer's shoulder, wordlessly telling him he didn't have to say anymore. "He torutred me...and he drugged me. In the end, I had to put a bullet in him. God, I hated myself for doing it. Tobias didn't deserve it; it wasn't his fault!" Spencer sobbed. "I felt so guilty afterwards, and I just wanted to forget. I didn't know how to make it stop- the images playing over and over in my head- and I took them. I took the drugs and screamed until they stopped."

William held his near-hysterical son closer to his him, pulling him into a hug as he whispered comforting words. "You've relived enough today; how about we try to move forward for once?" he whispered. Spencer sniffled as he took his head off his father's shoulder, silently wondering when he had become so touchy-feely.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that," Spencer smiled. William smiled along, silently wiping tears away as he did so.

"How about you and me stay in tonight and talk about things? Anything in the world- I want to know everything that you want me to know, even if it's just statistics and logic. I'm all ears."

Spencer nodded his head appreciatively before sitting cross-legged on the couch. He knew that he would later regret it, but for now, it was a position that he really needed to be in. Spencer cleared his throat and steadied his breathing before taking his father up on his offer. Inwardly smiling, he started off the night with a more happy-ending type of story, the type of g-rated fairy tale that children were told when they were young and impressionable.

"We didn't think we would be able to do it, and it doesn't happen often enough, but we finally saved a kid last week."

The End

**I'm sorry it's so...rushed, would it be?...but my gosh how hectic are things right now! Thnx for reading every single one of you, and thnx for sticking it out! **

**Cheers and Happy Holidays,  
-T/VA**


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